Pretty Little Fears
by mocahontas144
Summary: What is life? What is death? What is love? What is hate? What does it mean to put your life on the line for the ones you love? What is a shinobi's true purpose? What are the consequences of straying away from that purpose?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first story here on and I'm still really new to this stuff lol. If you see something that looks a little out of place that's because it is and please don't hesitate to let me know. I was on Wattpad at first but after becoming fed up with the lack of attention my story was getting, I moved here and I'm really glad I did. I would love to interact with you guys so feedback is definitely encouraged as well as any suggestions. Thank you so much for taking the time out to read this story! Enjoy!**

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"Mama!" The small, amber-haired girl cried out as she reached for her mother's collapsing frame, the blood from her wound splattering across Tsuki's face. Her mother died from a katana straight to the chest but not before simultaneously puncturing the intruder's heart with her sharpened blade, killing him as well. It was a last ditch effort to keep Tsuki safe, for she swore upon her life that she would protect her until the day she died. Tears began to well up and burn Tsuki's eyes as she leaned down and sobbed hysterically into her mother's lifeless chest. "M-mama...please wake up Mama!" She managed to scream in between breaths. She had been so overcome with emotion that she didn't even notice the thug approaching her from behind until he pressed his ice cold kunai against her neck.

"Don't worry brat, you're about to be joining her," he chuckled and pressed the kunai even harder against her neck, drawing blood. Her eyes snapped open. A darkness slowly began creeping into her mind. She began to shake uncontrollably and an emotion that she couldn't explain started boiling rapidly inside of her.

Is this.. sadness?

The air around the two began to whip around them with horrifying speed, causing the thug to wrap his arms around her as he attempted to restrain her.

Is this.. grief?

She began grinding her teeth together and clutched the sides of her head as she fought hard not to give into the darkness that was beginning to consume every last bit of her. Her hair had suddenly began shifting from its usual amber color to a snow white shade and whipped all around her, resulting in a few cuts on the face and body of the thug because of how hard the wind was whipping her hair around. He flinched and gripped her tighter. "H-hey! Cut it out!" He managed to say.

No..this is..

She threw her head back and let out a blood curdling scream as she felt the last shred of her consciousness being stripped away.

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"MAMA!" Tsuki jolted awake, tearing the IV needle from her arm. She instantly winced from the sudden pain and laid back down.

"Hey now, take it easy. We were just now able to get you stable," a gentle voice said to her. She was unable to open her eyes due to the searing pain rippling through her body. Every inch of her small frame was racked with pain. She heard shuffling to the left of her and winced as the IV needle reentered her arm. She felt a warm hand press lightly against her forehead. "Well your fever still hasn't come down yet so I'm afraid you'll be here for a while. Not that you'll be able to move anyway," he said, chuckling lightly before taking his seat.

Once the pain had subsided a bit, she gathered the strength to turn her head in the direction that the voice came from. There was boy, a little older than her, sitting in a metal chair inches away from her bed. He was fair-skinned and had curly, jet black hair that fell messily around his shoulders. His eyes were a deep sapphire shade. They were piercing but kind as he looked over her. He had a curious smile plastered on his face and he was dressed in a plain white t-shirt and black track pants. He chuckled as she took in all of his features, her face contorted with confusion and surprise.

"I'm sure you're wondering how you got here. Hell, I don't know too much myself. I was just told to watch over you while you rest up. Since we're stuck with each other for a while, we might as well get acquainted. My name's Haru, what's yours?" He asked with a close eyed smile. She looked at him for a little while longer before turning her head and scrunching her brows.

"Where..is my mother?" She asked, already knowing what the answer was. She just wanted to hear from someone else for confirmation. She _had_ to hear the words from someone else's mouth. Haru scrunched his brows and looked at the ground. His demeanor was serious now.

"I don't know much... but from what I've heard, you were the only survivor."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hi all! This is my first story on this website so I'm still learning how to use it. Any tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated! Also, any feedback on the story is appreciated and I will do my best to reciprocate! I will be updating this story regularly so be on the lookout for it. Enjoy!

 **Tsuki's POV**

I gripped the sheets tightly until my knuckles ached, ignoring the pain it caused. Tears began to well up in my eyes, threatening to fall as my lips quivered. I tried to fight back the tears as hard as I could but I was too weak. My mother was all I knew. Father died in battle when I was only a few months old so I never got the chance to know him. I had no siblings, as my mother was far too busy to take care of multiple children and the duties she carried out for the sake of her village were far too dangerous and more children would've been a liability. She never wanted anything but the best for me and she fought hard to ensure my safety. I closed my eyes and allowed the tears flow freely, leaving salty trails down my cheeks.

"If it makes you feel any better," Haru began, breaking the silence, "I'm not too sure how I ended up here either. As a matter of fact, I was once in the same position you were in. Bound to a bed with no recollection of what happened before I got here. I didn't even know my own name, so they gave me one."

"They?" I asked, turning to face him again, tears streaming down the side of my face.

"Yes. You haven't met em yet but there are a bunch of guys like you and me running around here. They called me Haru because they said I reminded them of Spring for some reason," he chuckled, looking up at the ceiling. He had such a calm demeanor about him as if he waded through life without a care in the world. "At first, they hated how I was always able to smile through everything, no matter the amount of pain I was in. I guess you could say I was envied for it," he said as he traced the raised scars that littered his arm. My eyes widened at the sight of them and followed his fingers as he ran them along the scarred skin that was laced in jagged patterns up and down his arm. "But, eventually, they had a change of heart and started to appreciate me a little more."

"Why didn't you fight back?" I asked before another wave of pain hit my body. I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched the sheets as I cried out. The pain paralyzed me as it radiated out from my core and spread to my entire body all the way to the tips of my fingers and toes. Haru quickly stood up and reached for one of the syringes lying neatly on a silver tray beside my bed. He took an alcohol towelette and swabbed it over my arm before piercing my skin with the syringe and injecting the clear liquid into my arm.

"There, that should help with the pain," he said as he placed the syringe back on the tray and gently massaged her arm. The medication worked instantly and, inch by inch, my body became numb to the pain. "I felt like I deserved it," Haru said. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up at him, confused.

"Huh?"

"To answer your question, I didn't fight back because I deserved the punishment," he answered as he sat back down. "Everyone is put on this earth for a specific purpose. There are consequences if you stray away from that purpose and I believe that everything happens for a reason. So I didn't fight back because it was apart of my destiny and it helped shape my character. There's a reason for the way I was treated when I first got here. And there's a reason for me turning up here all of a sudden," he said, looking down at the ground and squeezing the metal arms of the chair tightly, "I just haven't been able to figure out what that is yet."

Another long silence passed before I said anything. 'A purpose huh?' I thought to myself. My mother taught me something similar.

 **FLASHBACK (Tsuki is about 5 in this flashback)**

 _We strolled peacefully through the garden, my small hand cradled in hers. The gentle Autumn breeze caught our faces and tugged lightly at our long, amber-colored strands, which blended smoothly with the colors of Fall. This was our favorite pastime and really the only time we got to spend with each other. I allowed the sounds of the garden to play in my ear. The rustle of the trees as the wind blew them, the constant chatter of the garden's hidden inhabitants, and even the soft crunching of the leaves beneath our feet. I enjoyed them all. I carried a small wood woven basket in my other hand that held a handful of edible berries and nuts that we picked during our walk. I took in a deep breath, relishing in the earthy scent before looking up at mother. She kept her eyes closed as we walked, a small smile playing on her lips. I cocked my eyebrow up at her, wondering why she always held the same expression every time we went on our walks. A small chirping suddenly caught my attention and I turned my head in the direction it was coming from. On a blueberry bush a few feet ahead of us, a baby bird was turned on its side, entangled within the winding branches of the bush. It was clearly in distress, fluttering its wings vigorously as it cried out. I gasped and let go of mama's hand, rushing over to the bush._

" _Mama, look! This baby bird fell from its nest," I exclaimed as I pointed up at the towering cherry blossom tree above us. A small nest lay cradled in between its branches and bobbed up and down in sync with the movements of the tree as the wind swayed it gently. As I reached down to pick it up, mama swiftly put her hand over mine._

" _No, Tsuki. You can't move it," mama said as she shook her head, her eyes, which were usually an amber color, looked like warm pools of honey as they reflected the light of the evening sun. I scrunched my brows in response._

" _But Mama, how will the baby bird get back to its home? What if its injured? I'm sure it misses its mama," I stated, pouting up at her. She stooped down on one knee so that she was almost level with my height and put her hand around my shoulder. She pointed up at the cherry blossom tree where the nest was._

" _Look closer, Tsuki," she took one of her fingers and gently guided my chin into the direction she was pointing. I squinted my eyes and strained my neck to try to see what she was talking about. At first, all I saw was a nest full of baby birds snuggled together and chirping contently. I scrunched my brows in frustration._

" _Mama, they don't even care that their sibling is missing! We have to-"_

" _Keep watching, Tsuki," she interrupted. I did as she said and kept my eyes on the nest. A few seconds later, a larger bird emerged from the other side of the nest. "That's the mama bird," she said as we watched the bird dance across the nest. After checking on all of her chicks, she swooped down to the blueberry bush where her fallen chick was. The chick was still turned on its side and its cries intensified at the sight of its mother. In an instant, the mother bird was able to free the chick of its wooden prison and it checked the chick to ensure it had no injuries. Once free, the chick emitted a series of happy cries and hopped around its mother, flailing its wings in excitement. I watched in awe as the mother bird fed the chick and flew right back up to the nest, leaving the chick alone again._

" _Hey, she left it again!" I muttered angrily. Mama let out a soft chuckle and turned to look at me._

" _The mother bird is teaching the baby bird how to fly and live on its own. It can't do that if it stays in the nest forever. Sometimes, the baby bird is pushed out of the nest by its mother but its not without reason," she said, watching my eyes grow wide._

" _But, mama, the baby bird could get hurt like that! Why would the mother push it?"_

" _Sometimes, life can put us in situations they may prove difficult for us or even harm us," she said as she smoothed my hair, "but, from these situations, we grow stronger. Sometimes, these situations help us find our true purpose in life". I scrunched my brows and looked down at the ground, lost in thought._

" _So, mama? What's your true purpose?" I asked. Her smile widened and she looked up as wind continued to rock the trees above us. She brought her eyes back down to meet mine and used her hand to caress my cheek._

" _My true purpose, Tsuki, is you. I live to protect and watch over you and I do my best to make sure I can be the best mother I possibly can. Sometimes, I may mess up and I don't know what to do," her voice grew shaky and her eyes began to glisten. I had never seen mama cry before. She was always so strong. "I know I eventually won't be able to protect you anymore because you'll grow to become so much stronger than I am. But, until then, I vow to protect you with my life," she said before wrapping her arms around my shoulders, pulling me into a tight hug. I placed my arms around her back and rested my head on her shoulder. I felt several wet drops hit my skin and hugged her tighter._

" _I wanna find my true purpose too, mama," I whispered into her shoulder. We stayed like this for a while, frozen, as the warm breeze cradled us._

 **END OF FLASHBACK**

"Tsuki," she muttered to him, turning her head to look up at the ceiling. "My name is Tsuki." Her eyelids suddenly became heavy and she gave in to the sleep that was tugging at her body.

A/N: Thank you so much for taking the time out to read my story! Feedback is appreciated and I will try to reciprocate!


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